Kong Lives – Kong Saves Review

Less is more, leave them wanting, all good things comes to those who wait…. Oh good lord, just do the drop now!

Kong Saves opens up with a teasing, tantalising slow burn of a tune, that caresses you and eases you in to a gentle slumber, but then it drops its veil, throws off its mask and lets rip! This opening track “Dimitri” is an absolute belter. It starts smooth, followed by place shaking disruption, and then finds its own groove for the rest of the tune.

Kong Lives, a four piece from Newport, UK blend together that smoky, hazy, gritty stoner sound with the heavier more robust sludge sound with the structure and slight angular posturing of post-metal landscapes.

Release date: May 2, 2017
Label: Self released

They are confident in allowing these different elements to shine, or blend together. On “McMaggot,” they really turn on the stoner doom vibe, with that more rural organic feel as it opens up, as opposed to the more structured post-metal or urban sludge sound.

The sleeve art reminds me of Acid Reign’s “Moshkinstein” character, but it was heart warming to think that Kong lives, and that Kong saves. We gave King Kong a hard time in the movies, and maybe this is his revenge! “Thoughts of Future Past” includes large swathes of vocal walls of sound that could be heard right across the jungle!

Kong Saves is available as a “name your price” download, so give what you can to support your local Kong right here!